YEAR’S SURPLUS REDUCED

Southland Times, Issue 23650, 27 October 1938, Page 12

YEAR’S SURPLUS REDUCED

Finances Of Bluff Harbour Board RECEIPTS HIGHER THAN ESTIMATE SPECIAL EXPENDITURE INCURRED A surplus of £2425 for the year ended September 30 last compared with £9387 for the previous year was reported by the secretary of the Bluff Harbour Board (Mr R. N. Porter) at the monthly meeting of the board last night. Non-recurring items of expenditure totalling £2BOO were stated to contribute towards the reduced surplus. The total receipts credited to the Harbour Fund Account for September were £6247 3/6 as against £5253 4/2 for the corresponding month of last year, being an increase of £993 19/4. Under separate headings, the receipts for September for the current and the preceding year were:—Wharfage dues, £2853 4/9 (£2785 16/-); ships’ charges, £1602 18/7 (£1220 12/7); miscellaneous, £1791 0/2 (£1246 15/7). The total receipts under the respective headings for the year ended September 30 compared with the previous year were:—Wharfage dues £23,556 1/2 (£23,452 3/6); ships’ charges £19,078 *6/1 (£18,721 19/11); miscellaneous £6760 16/1 (£7252 9/4); a total of £49,395 3/4 (£49,426 12/9). The result of the year’s ordinary revenue which comes within the scope of the estimates, as against estimated receipts in the Harbour Fund Account was:—

The expenditure for tho month was £7333 0/1, as against £3461 12/6 for the corresponding month of last year.

HIGHER EXPENDITURE The total expenditure for the year was £53,753 7/2, of which £6969 15/10 was expended on the new reservoir construction which comes out of the No. 9 loan money, but as £1783 18/2 only of loan money was carried forward from the previous year and £5OOO raised during the year, or a total of £6783 18/2 loan money available, the difference of £lB5 17/8 was paid out of revenue. With the deduction of the amount of £6783 18/2 paid out of loan, the expenditure in the Harbour Fund Account was £46,969 9/-, giving a surplus of receipts .over expenditure of £2425 14/4. The expenditure for 1937 was £43,255 4/7, less £3216 1/10. expended on the new reservoir, making an expenditure in the Harbour Fund Account of £40,039 2/9 and giving a surplus of receipts over expenditure of £9387 10/-.

At the beginning of the year there was a credit in the harbour fund account of £8271 5/2, and at September 30, 1938, the bank balance was £4696 19/6. The fixed deposits iii the harbour fund account which at 1937 stood at £20,000 had increased by the end of the financial year to £26,000 so the improvement in the harbour fund account as a result of the year’s working is £2425 14/4.

It is interesting to note that although the gross revenue as at July 31, 1938, was £2666 less than the previous year for the same period, we finished up at September 30, 1938, to within £3l of 1937. It must be remembered that a number of items of expenditure which were budgeted for were not incurred during this past financial year, such as flush decking of No. 3 berth on the main wharf £2070, reclamation work £4OO, and balance of contract payments on capstans, bollards and air compressor £325, or approximately £2BOO. The finances of the board will require very close attention in this new financial year as it is now evident that on account of the extra dredging work undertaken at the ferry wharf, the dredge will in all probability be in commission for a further twelve months in the swinging basin. The surplus of cash assets over the board’s loan indebtedness and cash liabilities stands at £3405 17/7 as against £5015 2/4 at September 30, 1937, but during the past twelve months, there was a further amount of '£sooo raised under the No. 9 water loan. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS For the month of September 1938 the tonnage of cargo handled over the board’s wharves was 13,445 tons as against 10,032 tons fdr the corresponding month of last year, or an increase of 3413 tons. The particulars for the month were: Imports, 3876 tons coastal and 5015 tons overseas, a total of 8891 tons; exports, 1869 tons coastal and 2685 tons overseas, a total of 4554 tons. The principal classes of imported goods were:— Cement, 79 tons; coal, 746 tons; fruit, 461 tons; artificial manures, 644 tons; motor spirit and kerosene, 33 tons; seeds, 70 tons; sugar, 516 tons; timber, 246 tons; general cargo, 6096 tons. Export goods comprised:—Fish (frozen) 59 tons; hemp, 138 tons; frozen meat, 1157 tons; milk products, 211 tons; oats and oat products, 451 tons; pelts, 95 tons; seeds, 89 tons; tallow, 220 tons; timber, 773 tons; wool, 533 tons; general cargo, 828 tons. The number of vessels working the port for the month was:—Coastal, 24; overseas and intercolonial, 9; a total of 33 vessels. The number of vessels which have worked cargo at Bluff for the year ended September 30, 1938, was:— Coastal, 372; overseas and intercolonial, 128; a total of 500 vessels. CASUAL WORKERS The secretary of the Southland General Labourers’ Union (Mr D. Harris) requested the board to engage casual workers at the weekly rate of £4 12/6 instead of the hourly rate of 2/4. The Hon. T. F. Doyle supported the request, but it was decided to take no action.

The tenders of the Port Chalmers Marine Repair Works for painting and engineering work on the tug Awarua and for engineering work on the dredge Murihiku were accepted and the tender of R. Leftwich for cleaning and painting the dredge was accepted. Mr S. C. Angus, chief officer of the Waiana, was granted pilotage exemption for the port. The chairman was appointed a delegate to the annual conference of the South Islands Travel Association at Christchurch on November 4.

A report was received of a conference of representatives of the board, the Bluff Borough Council and owners of property on Bluff Hill on proposals for fire protection of bush on the hill.

It was stated that it had been decided to form a fire district and to make the necessary application to the State Forest Service.

A grant of £lO to the Invercargill Health Camp Committee was made and it was decided to buy £lO worth of health stamps through the Bluff Health Camp Committee. A grant of £5 was made to the Bluff Tennis Club. There were present Mr W. A. Ott (chairman), the Hon. T. F Doyle, M.L.C., Messrs A. H. Aitken, C. S. Lonquet, D. H. Cockburn, W. M. Norman, G. Wraytt, L. W. Spencer, W. J. A. McGregor and C. B. Tapley.

Estimated £ Actual Increase £ £ Wharfage dues 21,163 23,510 2347 Ships’ charges 16,519 18,238 1719 Miscellaneous 4,580 5,534 954 42,262 47,282 5020